About Me

Call The April Center For Anxiety Attack Management - Los Angeles: (310) 429-1024 or San Diego: (619) 961-1003. Or email Dr. April NOW.

Three locations serving Los Angeles, San Diego and The South Bay!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Anxiety Relief Spells Anxiety Support Groups?

by Dr. Craig April, Director of The April Center for Anxiety Attack Management - Los Angeleswww.KickFear.com

For anxiety relief,anxiety support groups can be the key.

Many that come to my center share that it would be meaningful to meet others with similar anxiety symptom experiences. This is understandable. Struggling with anxiety can be lonely.

When I see someone enter one of my groups for the first time, it is often an amazing experience. They are usually overcome with a feeling of community and understanding. Finally they have connected with others who also struggle!

And it often doesn't matter what the anxiety group focuses on - whether it is panic attacks, phobias, OCD, social anxiety, etc. - people connect through their internal sensory experience of anxiety, their avoidance behaviors, the limits and lack of freedom created by their symptoms, their fear and, of course, their desire to reduce anxiety.

Another interesting discovery for many in group is identifying where they fall in the range of anxiety syndrome. For example, some discover that they might not have as much work to do towards anxiety relief as they had originally thought. Others discover that they have a lot of work to do, but are hopeful based on seeing and hearing others share their road towards progress and anxiety reduction.

For those of you struggling with anxiety symptoms or anxiety disorders that have never tried an anxiety support group, I can't recommend them enough. One caveat though: make sure the anxiety support group is led by an expert anxiety treatment therapist who practices CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy). This is the only form of anxiety treatment that has been scientifically proven to reduce anxiety.